SHANGHAI, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Group of Eight (Go8) held a forum Thursday in Shanghai, aiming at ensuring the employability of its Chinese graduates when they return to China.
More than 50 major Chinese companies, as well as enterprises and branch offices set up by multinationals, participated in the event, including Alibaba, China Eastern Airlines, Apple, and Johnson & Johnson.
The forum discussed the Chinese employment outlook and future business demands for graduates.
"We intend to listen closely to what Chinese companies see as their future graduate requirements and their experience with our graduates," said Go8 chief executive Vicki Thomson.
Recent surveys show that more than 80 percent of Go8 Chinese graduates consider returning home to find employment, she added.
According to Go8 statistics, international students currently account for 35 percent of the 400,000 college students in Go8 member universities, with Chinese students making up the largest proportion of more than 60 percent.
"Accounting, finance and business administration have always been popular among Chinese students," said Dawn Freshwater, chair of the Go8 Board. "Hot majors in recent years include engineering technology, computer science, and biomedicine."
Comprising Australia's eight leading research-intensive universities, the Go8 has attracted one-third of all international students who study in Australia and six in ten among Chinese students.
